How To Increase Your Fruit And Vegetable Intake?

Is this term familiar to you? I'm sure it is, we can see now on the packages of fruits, vegetables, and unfortunately even on processed food such as commercial fruit juices.

Few facts:

1. The human body needs plenty of plant based food.

2. Scientists still haven't found the 'secret' of plant foods, they only agree on the fact that people eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, or exclusively a plant based diet, are much healthier, have more energy and less health problems.

3. During the last century, the food industry started to rocket, more and more processed, unhealthy (but very tasty and addictive) 'food-like-products' appeared in stores, and people started to eat less and less real food, fruits, vegetables.

4. About 10 years ago even the World Health Organization realized, that the number of diseases increased despite of the modern medical technologies. Most people eat very little, or no fruit and veg at all. So they started the '5-a-day' campaign, mainly to get people eat more of the healthy food.

5. Unfortunately, the food industry managed to label their not-so-healthy products with '1 of your 5 a day' claim, even though the processed food will never actually meet the requirement.

The most important fact: We need much more than 5 portions of fruit and veg a day!

How to make sure you have at least 5 portions of fruit and veg easily, and achieve a better overall health?

The answer: fruit/veg smoothies! They are so tasty, and healthy at the same time!

If you start your day with a tasty fruit+veg smoothie, you can actually kick-start your day having all the 5 portions to breakfast! And believe me: once you start eating more fruit and veg, your body will start to crave more fruit and veg. Isn't it amazing?

Since I started to have a smoothie for breakfast, incredible changes started in my body: I have more energy, my skin looks better, my hair is shiny and has volume, my eyes are glowing, and I know it benefits many of the invisible parts of my body as well.

What do my smoothies contain?

Only fruit + veg (optional: raw, cold pressed hemp protein powder)

What's the trick?

I always add two big handfuls of raw spinach to my smoothies. Unbelievably enough you won't taste the spinach at all! It will color your smoothie green of course, so adding it to the smoothie you will always get a green looking smoothie regardless of the fruits added.

Step 1: Buy a high speed blender.

Step 2: Always have at hand one of the base fruits: banana, apple, pear, mango or peach. These will give the creamy texture to the smoothie.

Step 5: Always have agave nectar at hand, in case you feel the need for some extra sweetness.

Enjoy!

The correct order for an easy-blending is:

Add some water first (usually 1/2-1 cup), then the soft fruits, then the hard fruits. Pulse these until they get almost creamy, then add the leafy greens and blend the whole thing on high for about 30 seconds.

And finally here are three of my favorite smoothies:

1./

1 banana

1 cup raspberry

2 big handful spinach

1 cup water

You can choose any other berries, strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries.

You can also double the portion, if you are very hungry.

2./

2 pear

1 cup blueberry

2 handful spinach

1 cup water

3./

1 mango

1 cup strawberries

2 handful spinach

1 cup water

You can add less or more water, depending how creamy you like your smoothie.

You can add raw protein powder to any of these in case you feel the need.

As I said, your body will reward your choice in many ways. And you will soon notice the changes in your habits too!

Don't forget the exercise though in the meantime. Join one of our ZUMBA classes in Dublin 2, Dublin 6 or Dublin 8. For details, CLICK HERE